Skip to main content

Widening participation

Degree attainment by socioeconomic background: UK, 2017/18 to 2020/21

New experimental statistics show disparities in degree attainment between most and least deprived areas narrowed during COVID in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but widened in Wales. 

Parental education data: Can we ever know why students might respond ‘I don’t know’?

HESA researchers explore whether family composition may be a factor that explains why some students respond with ‘I don’t know’ when asked about the qualifications attained by their parents in the UCAS form.

Keeping track: Can linking higher education records tell us anything about the quality of parental education data?

First-in-family data has been the subject of discussion within the sector over the past year. In this piece, HESA assess the quality of the parental education information we collect.

Using Census data to generate a UK-wide measure of disadvantage

A new UK-wide small-area-based measure of disadvantage is able to pick up deprivation in parts of the country where current area-level measures are less effective.

Quality matters: The Census and HESA Widening Participation data

HESA's Data and Innovation team use Census statistics to assess the quality of HESA's parental education and socio-economic classification data.

Year 0: A foundation for widening participation?

HESA's Data and Innovation team analyse how foundation years support the aim of widening participation.

Performance Indicators: Widening participation of under-represented groups

Indicators for Widening Participation are published today on our website. The full tables show the indicators for every publicly funded HE provider in the UK alongside their benchmark.

UK Performance Indicators in higher education 2013/14

Indicators for Widening Participation and Non-continuation are published today on our website.